Motorcycle battery maintenance and care

For a safe and puncture-free ride, the motorcycle battery is one of the essential parts on the bike. Without it, the engine remains silent and nothing works. The battery is hidden under the seat or the fairing. As long as it works, it usually receives little attention. This is fine until it unexpectedly stops working. Then nothing works electrically. To prevent this from happening, we have compiled some interesting facts about motorcycle battery maintenance and care for you.

What types of motorcycle batteries are there?

The majority of manufacturers fit a conventional standard battery. Maintenance-free acid batteries are also widespread. The functional principle is the same for all acid batteries: the individual cells contain lead plates. The negative plates consist of lead sponge, the positive plates of lead oxide. Diluted sulphuric acid serves as the electrolyte between them. The two different metals bound in the electrolyte make it possible to generate and store electrical voltage. If the two poles are now connected to each other via a resistor, the battery discharges. The chemical energy is converted into electrical energy and electricity flows.

MF or maintenance-free batteries

In contrast to conventional batteries, the acid in a maintenance-free battery is present in bound form as a fleece or gel between the lead plates. Evaporation is not an issue with these types. They can therefore be permanently sealed after the first filling.
In gel batteries, the acid is bound in silicic acid and the whole thing solidifies into a gel-like mass. They can withstand almost any inclination, have a high cycle stability and tend to be less self-discharged and deep-discharged. However, they are sensitive to cold and heavier than other variants.

AGM batteries are particularly robust

AGM stands for the English term "Absorbent Glass Matt". The batteries are micro-fleece batteries. The fleece consists of glass fiber mats. The advantage of vibration-resistant batteries: There is less sludge build-up. AGMs score points for their temperature tolerance and high starting currents.

Not just for racing: lithium-ion batteries

As cells, these batteries contain several individual battery packs. The anode and cathode are made of different metals and are primarily made of copper and aluminum. An ion-permeable plastic film separates them from each other. The whole thing is embedded in lithium-containing electrolyte without acid or water. The batteries have a long life expectancy, very low self-discharge and can be installed in any position.

For a long battery life: Basic maintenance measures

If you regularly travel long distances on your motorcycle during the season, the battery usually requires less maintenance. The battery is constantly recharged by the journeys and is therefore automatically maintained. Nevertheless, it is advisable to check the charge and voltage of the battery during this time too.

Proper care in everyday life

• If the voltage falls below 12.4 V (below 6.2 V for 6-volt batteries), the battery should be recharged. To do this, you need a charger that is suitable for motorcycles. It is also important that this device is compatible with the battery technology you are using.
• Check that the plugs and cables are correctly attached to the battery.
• Keep the battery dry and clean.
• Avoid corrosion: clean the connections if necessary.
• Important for standard batteries: Regularly check the acid content above the "low" mark (front). Refill with distilled water if necessary.
• The degassing hose must not be kinked or blocked.
• If the battery dies on the road despite good care, it is always helpful to have a mobile jump starter with you.

This will get the motorcycle battery through the winter: Correct storage

Should I remove my motorcycle battery for the winter or not? This question is asked by countless bikers year after year. Whether you should remove the battery from the bike depends, among other things, on where and how the bike spends the winter. If it spends the winter in a dry and evenly tempered room, the battery can remain in the bike. In this case, make sure that all electrical consumers such as an alarm system are switched off or disconnected so as not to put unnecessary strain on the battery.

1. Before going into hibernation, charge the motorcycle battery with a suitable battery charger for motorcycles
2. Connect the battery to an automatic battery charger. This ensures that the correct charge is maintained. Alternatively, check the voltage/charge manually:

• Standard batteries: monthly
• AGM/AGM-VRLA batteries: every 2 months
• Lithium-ion batteries: every 3 months

If the motorcycle has to survive the winter outside, we recommend removing the battery and storing it in a dry room at constant temperatures. Winter riders should always keep an eye on the charge level of the battery to prevent it from freezing. A lower acid concentration increases the risk of freezing.

Environmentally friendly disposal of old/defective motorcycle batteries

Correct and proper battery disposal is an important contribution to environmental protection. Motorcycle batteries must not be disposed of with household waste. You are legally obliged to dispose of old or defective batteries at a suitable collection point. This can be done free of charge either at the point of sale or at municipal collection points. If you have purchased a motorcycle battery from TECbike, you can send the old battery to us by post.

Technical problems and solutions

Modern motorcycles have more and more electronic components on board. The alternator, regulator and battery have to deliver more and more power to keep everything running smoothly. Problems can occur time and again, especially with the motorcycle battery. Then the ignition won't work, the starter refuses to start, fuses blow or headlights flicker. With a little know-how and a suitable multimeter, faults and fluctuations can be measured and rectified.
If the bike won't start despite a wet spark plug and a working starter, the fault could be in the battery ignition circuit. Check this as follows:

• Visually inspect the spark plugs, cable connections and plugs. Clean or replace parts that are worn, old or affected by current leakage.
• Use a spark gap tester to measure the quality of the spark. As a spark, the current should jump a distance of approximately 5 to 7 mm between earth and ignition cable.
• If the above measures have had no effect, the cause may be the ignition box. However, you should only have this sensitive component checked at a specialist workshop.